February 15, 2021

expert reaction to trial on dietary flavanols and cognition

A trial published in Scientific Reports looks at increased flavanol intake and performance on memory tests reflective of long-term, episodic memory.

Dr Susan Kohlhass , Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“This small trial highlights some possible effect of flavanols found in cocoa beans over a short time period, but we’d need to see much longer, large-scale studies to fully understand whether a diet high in these flavanols could boost cognition in old age. We also don’t know how meaningful the improvements measured in the tests used here would be for people in their daily lives.

“While the researchers found that by the end of the study, those on a high-flavanol diet performed better in a list-learning task compared to the placebo group, they did not find a relationship between flavanol intake and performance on two other cognitive tests one of which was the primary endpoint for the study. There was no effect of 12 weeks of flavanol supplementation on blood flow to the region of the brain the researchers had identified in advance of the study.

“This study didn’t look at dementia, and we can’t know from this research whether a diet high in cocoa would have any effect in either preventing or delaying the onset of the condition. The study used cocoa flavanol supplements provided to participants in capsule form. While cocoa beans are the basis for chocolate, chocolates are not a reliable source of flavanol compounds and this study does not suggest that eating chocolate is good for our cognitive health.

“The study was partly supported by MARS, Inc. the company that produces Mars bars and a range of other chocolate products.

“Continued investment in research is crucial to find ways to protect the brain and reduce the risk of diseases that cause dementia. Although there’s currently no certain way to prevent dementia, research shows that a healthy lifestyle can help keep our brains healthy as we age. A healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking, and keeping blood pressure and weight in check can all help lower the risk of dementia.

“We must do all we can to help people take action in support of their brain health. That’s why Alzheimer’s Research UK has launched the Think Brain Health campaign as an important first step.”

‘Insights into the role of diet and dietary favanols in cognitive aging: results of a randomized controlled trial’ by Richard P. Sloan et al. was published in Scientific Reports at 10:00 UK time on Monday 15 February.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83370-2

Declared interests

None received.